Improvement in plow-clevises



UNITED STATES PATENT JAY IV. POWERS, OF FORTAGE, WISCONSIX.

IMPROVEMENT IN PLOW-CLEVISES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent N0. 210,77, dated December 17, 1878; application filed August 27, 1878.

.To all vwhom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JAY lV. POWERS, of Portage, in the county of Columbia and State of Wisconsin, have invented anew and useful Improvement in a Plow-Clovis, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, making a part of this specitication.

My invention consists in providing for the side draft by placing on the end of a plowhealn a clevis in a vertical position, and providing for the up and down draft by placing upon the same beam another clevis in a horizontal position, the two combining to form one clevis. The vertical clevis being placed a little back of the other admits of its swinging horizontally upon its bolt, either to the right or to the left, in a curvilinear course ywithin the other.l thus providing for the side draft, so as to throw the plow either to or from lanrh as it is called. The horizont-al clevis swings vertically upon its bolt in a curvilinear course outside the other, which provides for the up and down draft, thus throwing the plow into or out of the ground, thereby regulating the depth of the furrow. A link or ring clasps both clevises at the point of contact with each other, to which the team may be attached in the usual manner.

Myinvention is illustrated lnore in detail in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure lis a longitudinal side elevation 5 Fig. 2, a view looking downward, and Fig. 3 a longitudinal vertical section.

In Figs. l, 2, and 3, A represents the forward end of a plowbeam 5 B, the link or ring; C, the vertical clevis; D, the horizontal clevis; E, the horizontal bolt, and F the vertical or lock bolt. The vertical clevis C is provided at its forward end with a number of notches, c a c, whose purpose will hereinafter be described, and near its rear end with an elliptical or oblong hole, through which the vertical loclrbolt F passes, which secures it to the beam A. The horizontal clevis D is provided on the inner surface of its forward end with a number of notches, c c c, which correspond in size with the notches a1 of the vert-ical clevis C, and near its rear end with a round hole, cl, through which the draftbolt E passes in a horizontal direction, which secures it to the beam A. The

link B clasps both clevises, its rear end standing obliquely, while its forward end, owing to its being twisted, lies in a horizontal position, which is desirable. The lockfbolt F is provided with the head j', attached to which, at one side of its lower surface, is the key c, whose purpose will hereinafter be understood.

In attaching 1n y clevis to the beam of a plow, I bore a hole the size of my bolt through the beam A in a vertical direction, and at right angles to that, or in a horizontal direction, I bore another hole the diameter of the bolt forward of the first, as shown in Fig. 3, so that the two bolts, when in place, will cross each other, touching in the center of the beam. I then place the link B onto both clevises, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, and place the clevises upon the beam A in their respective positions. The bolt E, I then put through the round hole d of the horizontal clevis D, then through the beam, securing it by a screw-nut, key, or other suitable device. I then place the lock-bolt F in the elliptical hole b of the vertical clevis, thence down through the beam A, and secure it with a key or a screwamt.

Vihcn it is desired to change the draft of the plow, all that is necessary to do is to lift the lock-bolt F upward, to allow the key c of the bolt-head f to rise above the clevis C, sufcient longitudinal play having been given it for that purpose, when the clevis C may he slid backward unt-il the notches c are disengaged from the notches c, with which theyY interlock, when either clevis may be swung upon its bolt in a curvilinear course to the point desired, when, by sliding the clevis O forward until the notches a again interlock with the notches c, by its own weight the lockbolt F will drop into place, when the key c, resting in the elliptical hole Zi in front of the bolt, will prevent the clevis C from again sliding backward, and the two cle-visos are securely locked together.

I do not wish to confine myself to the particular shapes of the parts shown, as it is ap4 parent that they may be changed without departing from the description given 5 and I claim that the transposition of the vertical clevis C and the longitudinal clevis D would be in accordance with the spirit of my invention.

It will be observed that the construction of my elevis is such that it is adapted to being cast of malleable iron, swaged or dropped out, as it is usually called, or forged, thus adapting it to all sections of the country. It will also be seen that in securing it to the beam by bolts passing through it in opposite directions, thus getting the strength of the wood both ways, and drawing fromfour different points, there is less liability of breaking the plow-beam than when the draft comes all on one bolt and draws from one direction only, and the beam need not be as heavy as heretofore.

The link clasping the two clevises at the point of contact with each other, the strain is at all times equallyT divided between them, there-r by securing the greatest degree of strength possible with the material used, and the elevis may therefore be much lighter than` those now in use.

In contradistinction to the present construction of clevises, wherein metal is distributed to where by chance it may he needed, thereby rendering them heavy and expensive, mine is so constructed as to carry the metal to any point where it may be needed, to be again transported to some other point, without the removal of bolts or the use of tools, and can therefore be very light and inexpensive.

Having thus described my invention and set forth its advantages, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

l. The vertical clevis C, provided at its rear end with the elliptical or oblong hole b, and at its forward end with the anterior notches, a a a, standing at right angles to and interlocking with an ordinary draft-clevis, provided at its forward end with the posterior notches, c c o, the two combining to form one clevis, as specied.

2. In combination with the vertical clevis C and the horizont-al clevis I), the twisted link B and the look-bo1t F, substantially as flescribed, and for the purposes specified.

JAY W. POWERS.

Vitness'es:

' S. PURDY, I). M. NEILL. 

